He is 21 years old and was just accepted a Harvard Law School.
He has a Macbook Air, iphone and Ipod touch, his ipad was destroyed in an unfortunate skateboarding accident, a few months ago.
(I don't think he will ever forgive his cousin for that one, lol)

Given the magnitude of what he just achieved, (yes, I'm bragging. Indulge me, damn it :D ) I want to gift him with a brand spanking new ipad.
I am looking at the iPad air 128 GB wifi & cellular and the iPad mini with retina display 128 GB wifi and cellular.
But the specs look exactly the same, even the display size so needless to say, I'm a tad confused.

Is the only difference between the two just the external size?
Help me make sense of it all, please, I am not tech savvy at all.
He is a heavy tablet user and constantly on the go.

Thank you!

07-01-2014, 10:10 AM

HankAZ

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

He is 21 years old and was just accepted a Harvard Law School.
He has a Macbook Air, iphone and Ipod touch, his ipad was destroyed in an unfortunate skateboarding accident, a few months ago.
(I don't think he will ever forgive his cousin for that one, lol)

Given the magnitude of what he just achieved, (yes, I'm bragging. Indulge me, damn it :D ) I want to gift him with a brand spanking new ipad.
I am looking at the iPad air 128 GB wifi & cellular and the iPad mini with retina display 128 GB wifi and cellular.
But the specs look exactly the same, even the display size so needless to say, I'm a tad confused.

Is the only difference between the two just the external size?
Help me make sense of it all, please, I am not tech savvy at all.
He is a heavy tablet user and constantly on the go.

Thank you!

The specs are similar, but the Air screen is 9.7". The Mini screen is 7.9". Those with dyslexia can consider the screen sizes to be identical. :)

So is the performance between the 2 identical? The only difference is size?

07-01-2014, 10:29 AM

HankAZ

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

So is the performance between the 2 identical? The only difference is size?

Yeah, pretty much. They have the same specs. One could argue that the screen of the Mini would look better because it has the same resolution, squeezed into a slightly smaller space. There is a thread here somewhere where folks are complaining about the color gamut of the Mini, but comparison between my Mini and my wife's Air doesn’t look any better/worse to me.

07-01-2014, 10:29 AM

iOS Gravity

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

So is the performance between the 2 identical? The only difference is size?

The only differences are the screen size and the voltage they need to charge.

07-01-2014, 10:31 AM

HankAZ

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by iOS Gravity

The only differences are the screen size and the voltage they need to charge.

Not true. The original Mini came with a 5W charger. The Mini Retina comes with the same 12W charger as the Air (and previous full size iPads - ok, the original iPads had a 10W charger, but you get the point).

07-01-2014, 10:34 AM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Thanks guys, that does help. Now I need to decide if the smaller size I'll be more convenient or if he will prefer the added screen real estate of the iPad Air.
...any personal preferences you could share?

07-01-2014, 10:40 AM

HankAZ

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

Thanks guys, that does help. Now I need to decide if the smaller size I'll be more convenient or if he will prefer the added screen real estate of the iPad Air.
...any personal preferences you could share?

As I mentioned above, I have the Mini. I prefer the size for using it "on the go". But this truly is a matter of personal preference. You mentioned that this was a replacement iPad. What did your son have before the accident? Full size? Mini?

07-01-2014, 10:48 AM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by HankAZ

As I mentioned above, I have the Mini. I prefer the size for using it "on the go". But this truly is a matter of personal preference. You mentioned that this was a replacement iPad. What did your son have before the accident? Full size? Mini?

He had an iPad 4, retina display, 128GB, wifi and cellular.
He uses it for school a lot, also for browsing and communicating, he's not much of a gamer.

07-01-2014, 10:52 AM

iOS Gravity

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

He had an iPad 4, retina display, 128GB, wifi and cellular.
He uses it for school a lot, also for browsing and communicating, he's not much of a gamer.

Why not ask him which size he would prefer?

07-01-2014, 11:00 AM

iOS Gravity

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by HankAZ

Not true. The original Mini came with a 5W charger. The Mini Retina comes with the same 12W charger as the Air (and previous full size iPads - ok, the original iPads had a 10W charger, but you get the point).

On the site it said that the Air comes with a 12W charger and the rMini comes with a 10W charger.

07-01-2014, 11:01 AM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by iOS Gravity

Why not ask him which size he would prefer?

Because I want to surprise him, I plan to put it on his plate at the dinner table when he comes over for dinner and watch his jaw drop to the floor, hehehe...
Actually the more I think about it the more I lean toward the Air because it's still smaller than the old one but I believe he'll prefer the size:
He writes a lot on his tablet and too small a screen may prove a bit tiring on his eyes.
(mother hen here lol)

07-01-2014, 11:07 AM

iOS Gravity

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

Because I want to surprise him, I plan to put it on his plate at the dinner table when he comes over for dinner and watch his jaw drop to the floor, hehehe...
Actually the more I think about it the more I lean toward the Air because it's still smaller than the old one but I believe he'll prefer the size:
He writes a lot on his tablet and too small a screen may prove a bit tiring on his eyes.
(mother hen here lol)

Then get the Air. He had the 4, so he should be familiar with the screen size.

07-01-2014, 11:07 AM

HankAZ

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by iOS Gravity

On the site it said that the Air comes with a 12W charger and the rMini comes with a 10W charger.

Fair enough. I got so many of the charger blocks (5W, 10W, 12W) around here, I couldn’t tell you which one came with what - except that the 5W always come with iPhones, iPods and the original iPad Mini. The accessories page show the 10/12W chargers are compatible with all iDevices. I have the 10/12W charger blocks in the office, the bedroom and the family room for anyone to use. The biggest issue is the iPhone 4/4S and older iPads requiring the 30-pin connectors.

07-01-2014, 11:13 AM

warcraftWidow

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

The specs are exactly the same. The screens have the same resolution. Since the mini is physically smaller, each pixel will be slightly smaller but the two displays have the same number of pixels. If your son is going to be reading lots of legal documents, I'd recommend the iPad Air but you give up a slight amount of portability getting the larger device.

07-01-2014, 11:27 AM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Karenkcoulter

The specs are exactly the same. The screens have the same resolution. Since the mini is physically smaller, each pixel will be slightly smaller but the two displays have the same number of pixels. If your son is going to be reading lots of legal documents, I'd recommend the iPad Air but you give up a slight amount of portability getting the larger device.

Yes, I'm going with the Air: He actually gains portability because it is slightly smaller and way lighter than the 4, so I think that will work best.
Now to pick THE perfect cover... ;)

07-01-2014, 12:25 PM

iOS Gravity

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

Yes, I'm going with the Air: He actually gains portability because it is slightly smaller and way lighter than the 4, so I think that will work best.
Now to pick THE perfect cover... ;)

Try the covers that Apple sells and an Otterbox defender.

07-01-2014, 01:46 PM

warcraftWidow

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

Yes, I'm going with the Air: He actually gains portability because it is slightly smaller and way lighter than the 4, so I think that will work best.
Now to pick THE perfect cover... ;)

Covers are very individual. I'd suggest giving him a price range and letting him pick the cover.

07-02-2014, 06:41 PM

Good OL MC

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Congrats to you and your son! That is an excellent achievement. He comes from good stock, obviously.

And the Air is my vote. I love mine. The Mini is only a little heavier and I can one hand the Air really easily. I'd look at the Zagg Folio for a case. Maybe not the main case he'll lug around as it is heavy, but the utility of it is wonderful.

07-02-2014, 06:48 PM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

I ended up with 2 iPad Air and 2 smart cases. I wasn't planning on getting one for myself but I had a misshap this morning... Details in the iPad Air section. ;)

Sent from my iPad using iMore Forums

07-02-2014, 09:40 PM

Ledsteplin

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

I ended up with 2 iPad Air and 2 smart cases. I wasn't planning on getting one for myself but I had a misshap this morning... Details in the iPad Air section. ;)

Sent from my iPad using iMore Forums

I saw that. It looked more like a stroke of luck to me. Now you have a great iPad Air. :)

Sent from from my iPhone 5

07-04-2014, 07:58 AM

Evilguppy

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

I'll use those tips for me, he already knows everything about iPads, lol.
I made the right choice btw, he came to dinner, saw the gift wrapped box on his plate, unwrapped it and reacted exactly like he used to when he got his new bike as a little kid, it was epic.

Sent from my iPad using iMore Forums

07-04-2014, 08:02 AM

phreddyl

Re: need help for my son, the Apple freak

Originally Posted by Evilguppy

I'll use those tips for me, he already knows everything about iPads, lol.
I made the right choice btw, he came to dinner, saw the gift wrapped box on his plate, unwrapped it and reacted exactly like he used to when he got his new bike as a little kid, it was epic.